A Dataset from Bio-loggers Deployed on Ribbon Seals (Histriophoca fasciata) and Spotted Seals (Phoca largha) in the Bering Sea, 2005-2018

Ribbon seals (Histriophoca fasciata) and spotted Seals (Phoca largha) are important subsistence resources for the indigenous people of coastal northern and western Alaska, as well as key components of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic marine ecosystems. Yet relatively little about their abundance, seasonal distribution, migrations, or foraging behaviors has been documented scientifically. The population health of these two ice-associated seal species may be negatively impacted by offshore oil and gas development, commercial fishing, and increased shipping in addition to the wide range of ecosystem impacts stemming from unprecedented climate change in the Bering Sea. Our ability to predict impacts on population health, however, is limited by inadequate knowledge of seal population structure, movements, and foraging ecology. Starting in 2005, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center began a multi-decadal study of ribbon and spotted seals in the central and western Bering Sea. By working cooperatively with Alaska Native subsistence hunters we learned how to live- capture ribbon and spotted seals in the Bering Sea marginal pack ice between April and June. Each seal was released with up to two different types of bio-logging devices from Wildlife Computers (Redmond, Washington, USA): the SPOT5/6, attached to a rear flipper, provided information on the timing of hauling out and on the seal’s location for up to three years. The SPLASH/MK10, glued to the top of a seal’s head, nape, or back, provided the same information as well as data on the timing and depths of dives. SPLASH/MK10 deployments remained active up to ten months and were shed from the seal during the annual molt. The data files within this dataset represent the 'raw' data obtained from the Wildlife Computers data portal. Each deployment (unique tag id + animal id combination) is provided as a zipped archive.

带纹海豹（Histriophoca fasciata）与斑海豹（Phoca largha）是阿拉斯加北部及西部沿海原住民的重要生计资源，同时也是北太平洋、白令海及北极海洋生态系统的关键组成部分。然而，关于其种群数量、季节性分布、迁徙模式或觅食行为的科学记录相对匮乏。这两种冰栖海豹物种的种群健康可能受到近海油气开发、商业捕捞及航运活动增加的负面影响，此外还面临白令海前所未有的气候变化所引发的广泛生态系统冲击。然而，由于对海豹种群结构、移动模式及觅食生态学的认知不足，我们预测这些因素对种群健康影响的能力仍受限制。

自2005年起，阿拉斯加渔业科学中心开始对白令海中部及西部的带纹海豹与斑海豹开展一项跨十年研究。通过与阿拉斯加原住民生计猎人合作，我们掌握了在4月至6月期间于白令海边缘浮冰区活体捕获带纹海豹与斑海豹的方法。

每只海豹在放归时均携带至多两种来自野生动物计算机公司（美国华盛顿州雷德蒙德市）的生物记录设备：附着于后鳍的SPOT5/6设备可提供长达三年的上岸时间及海豹位置信息；黏附于海豹头部顶端、颈部或背部的SPLASH/MK10设备不仅能提供上述相同信息，还可记录潜水时间与深度数据。SPLASH/MK10设备的部署有效期最长为10个月，并会在海豹年度换毛期脱落。

本数据集内的文件代表从野生动物计算机公司数据门户获取的“原始”数据，每个部署（唯一标签ID+动物ID组合）均以压缩包形式提供。